NHL Player News

Vejmelka stopped 21 of 24 shots in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Jets.

Vejmelka was rested versus the Flames on Sunday after appearing in nine straight games to help the Mammoth get into the playoffs. The 29-year-old's win Tuesday locked the team into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, guaranteeing they'll face the Pacific Division winner in the first round. Vejmelka has won six of his last seven outings and is up to 38-20-3 with a 2.73 GAA and an .897 save percentage over a league-high 63 games this season. With nothing left to play for, it would be surprising if Vejmelka started Thursday versus the Blues.

Evans scored a goal Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to the Flyers.

Evans scored on a rebound with 11 seconds left in the second to make the score 3-2, but the Habs were unable to carry that momentum forward and into the third period. The goal was Evans' first in 12 games (two assists). Montreal will travel to Tampa Bay to start their first-round matchup Saturday. Evans is a bottom-six forward who may see time in the press box given the strength of the lineup.

Gallagher scored a goal Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to the Flyers.

Gallagher was back in the lineup after being scratched for the previous four games. The goal was his first since Feb. 4 and his seventh in 77 games this season (23 points). There's no guarantee that the aging winger will dress to start the playoffs. However, Gallagher is one of the playoff veterans on a young team. He has played 76 career postseason games, scoring 13 goals and adding 20 assists.

Dobes made 21 saves in a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Dobes heads into the postseason with two straight losses, with nine goals allowed in that span. Still, he's been excellent this year with a 29-10-4 record overall, 2.78 GAA and .901 save percentage. The playoffs start Saturday, and Dobes and the Canadiens will start the first round on the road in Tampa Bay.

Ersson made 27 saves in a 4-2 win over Montreal on Tuesday.

Ersson finished the season on a 6-1-0 run in seven starts (nine appearances). Overall, he ended with a 14-11-5 record, 3.12 GAA and .870 save percentage. Dan Vladar will assume the stance in the blue paint with the playoffs starting, so Ersson will take a spot on the bench.

Martone had a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Canadiens.

Martone, who is 19 years old, closed the regular season on a six-game, nine-point streak that included four goals. That tied Sean Couturier (2011-12), Mike Ricci (1990-91) and Peter Zezel (1984-85) for the second-longest point streak by a Flyers teenager. Eric Lindros holds the record (seven games; 1992-93).

Michkov had a goal and two assists in Tuesday's 4-2 win over Montreal.

Michkov's goal in the second period stood as the winner. He grabbed a loose puck in front of the Montreal crease and whipped it with Jakub Dobes out of position. Michkov closed the season with goals in three consecutive games (three goals, three assists). He finished the regular season with 51 points following a serious post-Olympics run. Michkov led the Flyers with 22 points, including seven goals, in 26 outings since the Games. Prior to that, he had 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) in 55 games.

Bonk scored a goal and added an assist Tuesday in a 4-2 win over Montreal. It was his NHL debut.

Bonk is the first Flyers defenseman to score a goal in his NHL debut and the third to have a multi-point effort. Gord Murphy (1988-89) and Behn Wilson (1978-79) are the others. Bonk came into Tuesday with six goals and 13 assists in 44 games in his rookie season with AHL Lehigh Valley.

Arvidsson scored a goal Tuesday in a 4-0 win over New Jersey.

Arvidsson missed one game to rest for the postseason. He returned with a bang, scoring for the 25th time this season (54 points; 69 games). He doubled his point production from the 27 he managed in 67 regular-season games in Edmonton last campaign. He has five 25-goal seasons in his career.

Cootes scored twice in WHL Prince Albert's 4-0 win over Saskatoon in Game 3 on Tuesday.

Cootes hadn't scored since the Raiders' first postseason game. He's now at four goals and six assists across eight playoff outings. He's helped get the Raiders on the verge of the WHL's Eastern Conference Finals -- they're up 3-0 over the Blades in this second-round series.